Once again, during WWII, Malta proved to be crucial for the Brits against Italy and Germany. The Rock was used as a base to attack the Italian Marine Forces and as a Listening Base to listen to messages from Italy, Germany, etc.
Malta and WWII
Malta played a major role during WWII. The Italian pilot Francisco Cavalera said, “Malta was really a big problem for us- very well defended”
At the end of World War II, the Rock had lost 1,150 men and 1,212 were seriously injured. This beautiful and relatively tiny Rock was praised both by the English and the Americans.
In April 1942, the George Cross (the highest civilian award for gallantry) was awarded to Malta by King George VI.
In December of the same year, Franklin D Roosevilt presented a United States Presidential Citation: “Under repeated fire from the skies, Malta stood alone and unafraid in the centre of the sea, one tiny bright flame in the darkness- a beacon of hope for the clearer days which have come”
,Independence for Malta
After WWII, Malta fought and achieved Independence in 1964. Both political parties, the MLP and PL agreed that independence was the way forward. For once they worked together to achieve it. During their independence, Malta still recognized the Queen as their Head of State. This changed when Malta became a Republic in 1974 and elected their first Maltese President. The British troops left the island shortly afterwards, in 1979.
The Relationship between Malta and Britain has always remained strong. Even today, there are a lot of monuments and museums that commemorate the Brits period in Malta. The main museums to visit are the War Museum in St. Elmo, the Lascaris War Museum, and the Aviation Museum in Ta Qali.
Malta has kept a strong bond with Britain due to the former being part of the Commonwealth. One of the major agreements between the two countries is a health agreement where UK allows serious medical cases to be treated in the UK.
